Kiselev O I, Vasin A V, Shevyryova M P, Deeva E G, Sivak K V, Egorov V V, Tsvetkov V B, Egorov A Yu, Romanovskaya-Romanko E A, Stepanova L A, Komissarov A B, Tsybalova L M, Ignatjev G M
1Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia.
2St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251 Russia.
Mol Biol. 2015;49(4):480-493. doi: 10.1134/S002689331504007X. Epub 2015 Aug 14.
Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) epidemic currently ongoing in West Africa is not the first among numerous epidemics in the continent. Yet it seems to be the worst EHF epidemic outbreak caused by Ebola virus Zaire since 1976 as regards its extremely large scale and rapid spread in the population. Experiments to study the agent have continued for more than 20 years. The EHF virus has a relatively simple genome with seven genes and additional reading frame resulting from RNA editing. While being of a relatively low genetic capacity, the virus can be ranked as a standard for pathogenicity with the ability to evade the host immune response in uttermost perfection. The EHF virus has similarities with retroviruses, but belongs to (-)RNA viruses of a nonretroviral origin. Genetic elements of the virus, NIRV, were detected in animal and human genomes. EHF virus glycoprotein (GP) is a class I fusion protein and shows more similarities than distinctions in tertiary structure with SIV and HIV gp41 proteins and even influenza virus hemagglutinin. EHF is an unusual infectious disease, and studying the molecular basis of its pathogenesis may contribute to new findings in therapy of severe conditions leading to a fatal outcome.
目前在西非肆虐的埃博拉出血热疫情并非非洲大陆众多疫情中的首例。然而，就其在人群中的大规模爆发和快速传播而言，它似乎是自1976年以来由扎伊尔埃博拉病毒引发的最严重的埃博拉出血热疫情。对该病原体的研究实验已经持续了20多年。埃博拉出血热病毒的基因组相对简单，有七个基因以及由RNA编辑产生的额外阅读框。尽管其遗传能力相对较低，但该病毒在完美逃避宿主免疫反应方面堪称致病性的典范。埃博拉出血热病毒与逆转录病毒有相似之处，但属于非逆转录起源的（-）RNA病毒。在动物和人类基因组中检测到了该病毒的遗传元件NIRV。埃博拉出血热病毒糖蛋白（GP）是一种I类融合蛋白，在三级结构上与SIV和HIV gp41蛋白甚至流感病毒血凝素相比，相似之处多于差异。埃博拉出血热是一种罕见的传染病，研究其发病机制的分子基础可能有助于在导致致命后果的严重疾病治疗方面取得新发现。
